as long as we are in the thrall of grover norquist, it'll be a rough, a long haul. host: what do you make of this process? guest: i loved senator simpson. he is such a wonderful person. i have not met anyone kinder or nicer than him who is willing to work with people on all sides. he is all about listening. people would say gets worse every year in washington. i'm a little bit of a contrarian. there is always tension. there's always a lot of pressure from both sides. what you typically have to have are these kinds of external pressures. that is what is going on today. i think there is a real issue of trust. one of the unique things is i remember the first days, and not just to talk about this. this idea that we kept most of the information within those walls. it built a sense of trust between republicans and democrats so we read able to get 60%. you have to talk to both sides. we do not do enough of that. it is a difference of opinion. the have to find common ground. host: bob is on the line from chapel hill, north carolina. caller: two specific questions. does your